CRTC ORDERS SHAW TO AIR LOOK ADS
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has ordered Shaw Cable of Calgary to resume airing Look Communications informercials. Look Communications, a digital television alternative to cable television, developed product informercials for airing on Torstar TV which is carried in the Greater Toronto Area by both Rogers Cable and Shaw Cable. Although Shaw was under contract to carry Torstar TV, it had been blacking out the Look informercial since January. The CRTC ruling responds to formal complaints against Shaw issued by Look Communications and Toronto Star Television for blacking out the informercial and replacing it with advertising for their own Internet service. The CRTC states in a release that Shaw's actions are "fundamentally anti-competitive, and its deletion of the Look informericals clearly constitutes the conferral of an undue preference on itself, and an undue disadvantage on Look in breach of section 9 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations." Section 9 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations states that no licensee shall give an undue preference to any person, including itself, or subject any person to an undue disadvantage. Shaw officials could not be reached before press time for comment.